Agni
Agni is a Toa of Fire and member of the Ta-Koro Guard. Biography Agni had always been a member of the Ta-Koro Guard , even before he became a Toa , as he did not like the feeling of being dependent on good fortune and the six Toa Mata , as much as he admired them. His service in the guard made him feel able to defend his people, despite the lack of elemental control or access to great Kanohi. On patrol near the Tren Krom Break, it was apparent accident that a rockslide almost killed him. Badly bruised he dug himself out of the rubble, only to discover a Toa Stone had been sealed away beneath the rock. He took the artifact to the Turaga for safekeeping, but the accident turned out to be destiny, and Agni was turned into a Toa by the power of the stone, which even bore his name carved into it. Yet it seems that destiny played a trick on Agni, as nothing happened after his transformation that would give him a call beyond that of his duty in the Guard. So the young Toa resumed his post there as an officer of the Guard, pondering his fate while fending off Rahi, often frustrated by the thought that there was nothing waiting for him that would justify his transformation into what should be a hero. That is, until news of the Makuta eliminating the former Chronicler's Company began to spread and Agni met a Toa named Valria, helping her deal with her past and hunt the criminal responsible for her suffering, a Toa named Telric. Together they traveled from Koro to Koro, meeting allies along the way, Toa Mef and Toa Tirokk. The group followed the clues Valria gained from recovering her shattered memories from Onu-Koro , to Po-Koro and Ga-Koro , before finally reaching the Kini-Nui . There they met the surviving members of Valria's team, just before they were ambushed by a group of mercenaries, hired by Telric. The battle was short and brutal, ended quickly by Valria who re-connected with her elemental powers and killed several of the mercs. Shocked, Mef, who had grown very close to Valria, departed the group. Agni himself was conflicted too, as Valria had technically comitted a crime. But Agni had made a promise to the Toa of Gravity, and, considering the circumstances, cut her some slack. One group-member short, the trio made their way to Telric's hideout, which they successfully infiltrated. Once in, it became clear that Telric had a large-scale slave-trade operation going, making money off of his own sadism. Though the corrupted Toa expected them, he was severely outnumbered, and was captured thanks to a returned Mef. Reunited, Agni and company freed the slaves and left, burning the mansion down on their way out. However, Telric had one last trick up his sleeve. On the way back to Ga-Koro, Valria's former team-member fell ill with an infection he had contracted from one of the slaves during the raid. Telric offered the cure in exchange for his freedom and a clean getaway, which Agni reluctantly agreed to. Telric kept his word and told them the recipe for the cure, but as soon as he was free and his personal yacht arrived to pick him up, he used the team's distraction to turn on them, killing Mef in the process. Distraught, Agni and Valria were left behind to take care of Valria's former partner. Enraged the two agreed to retaliate immediately. With the help of the Ga-Koro Marines, they tracked down Telrics boat. While the marines took care of his bodyguards, Agni and Valria confronted Telric one last time. Though he would later regret it, a furious Agni allowed Valria to take revenge on her tormentor before he set the boat on fire, leaving Telric to burn. Back in Ga-Koro, the two Toa decided to part ways after Mef's funeral, to put some distance between them and the previous events. Agni agreed, though with a heavy heart. The adventure had not only taught him the difficulties and responsibilities of leadership, but also the importance of what it meant to be a true Toa. And Agni resolved to never break the code again, Telric becoming his personal cenotaph, a lesson learned the hard way. With this new knowledge and outlook on life, he finally came closer to his destiny when fate decided to cross his path with that of a fresh Toa of Fire named Joske Nimil and the Toa of Water named Cael. Recognizing his past self in the newly transformed Joske he offered to teach the young Toa the ropes of his new calling and element, while Cael focused more on the psychological side of the training, which suited Agni just fine after his recent hardships. Over the following months, the veteran was officially assigned to train Joske (a quasi-punishment for going missing without informing the guard during the previous adventure) and while Joske's skills developed under his intense tutelage, the two became friends. And when destiny called upon Joske to aid the wanderer's company in their quest to defeat Makuta, Agni and Cael insisted on aiding their friend without hesitation. Appearance and Tools Appearance Standing a head above the average Toa, Agni is perceived intimidating by some in Ta-Wahi when they see him, possibly due to the main-colors of dark red and black, though the latter betrays a hint of a metallic colour underneath, as well as his orange eyes. His Kanohi Kualsi seems almost black as well yet there is a red hue to it. The mask itself has seen better days. It is dark red with faded spots of black towards the edges. The two elegant protrusions that extend down following the jaw-line have long broken off. This fact is rarely noticed though, as Agni sports a black scarf, wrapped around his neck and often covering his mouth while the ends are draped around his shoulders. Across his torso run two leather-straps, holding the sheaths on his back in place. Tools *Two short gunmetal-grey blades adorned with fire-carvings near the handle. Agni always carries them, stowed safely in the sheaths on his back. *A small bag strapped to his waist, filled with many useful small items, like a chisel, a lightstone, a small collection of healing herbs and others. Abilities and Traits Abilities Agni is a Toa of Fire, and, as such, has complete control over that element, alongside a wealth of experience in elemental, armed, and un-armed combat. His mask allows him to teleport anywhere within visual range, an ability that he has highly incorporated into his fighting style. His other major skill is detective-work, something he learned while a Matoran guardsman. Over the years he has become an adept in deductive reasoning with a keen eye for detail and great psychological insight, which helps in understanding the motives of the criminals he is trying to stop. This is aided by a specialized mask of psychometry which allows him to relive the final moments of a murder-victim's past. As a long-time officer of the Ta-Koro Guard, he is a warrior of the highest calibre, sharp in tongue and mind and ever vigilant in protecting Mata-Nui from evil. Traits When Agni first started out, he was considered something of a "rookie", compared to Toa like Tahu, but those days are long gone. Agni is a veteran Toa officer with enough experience to face most enemies one-on-one. He is an expert swordsman, martial artist, strategist and leader. Agni is aware of the great responsibilities of being a Toa and his experiences at first turned him into a quiet and slightly cynic character, sometimes feeling close to disillusioned on bad days. However his heart is always in the right place and he gives all he's got to protect the Matoran of Mata Nui, doing the right thing when push comes to shove. Especially since the events in Ga-Wahi, he's been determined to strictly adhere to the code in order to atone for his shortcomings, something that strongly influenced his teaching of Toa Joske. Many get the impression that he is a pessimist at first glance, but that is not the case; rather, it's a result of his dry humor. He has lightened up a bit recently, something he blames on Joske's personality rubbing off on him. Relationships Friends and Allies *Ta-Koro Guard *Joske Nimil *Cael *Angelus *Tuara *Valria *Mef *Tirokk *Dorian Shaddix *Stannis Maru Enemies *Makuta *Heuani *Echelon *Ronkshou *Kohra *Vidar *The Shade/Dackelus Quotes Trivia *Agni is an Indian word for "fire" *There is already an offical Ta-Matoran Guard named Agni, however he is completely unrelated to this character. *Inspiration for Agni came from noir crime-stories, as he is basically a police detective struggling with personal issues, for example his feeling of a lack of purpose and destiny. Category:Toa Category:Ta-Koro Guard Category:Characters Category:Guard Category:Ta-Toa Category:Officers Category:Detectives